Why DevOps is Crucial for Modern Software Development?

In the fast-paced world of Software Development, speed and quality are no longer considered luxuries—they are essentials. What you need in this field is a game-changing approach that breaks down silos and harmonises development and operations. DevOps is that very approach that encourages innovation and automation, resulting in faster delivery of software and satisfied customers and clients.  

This blog explores Why DevOps is important in accelerating deployment cycles while increasing reliability and security. So read on and master agility and excellence in this digital era! 

Table of Contents      

1) What is DevOps?   

2) Why is DevOps Popular?   

3) Why DevOps is Important?   

4) Best Tools for DevOps   

5) Best DevOps Practices  

6) Challenges in Implementing DevOps 

7) The Future of DevOps 

8) Conclusion 

What is DevOps?  

DevOps is a set of practices that combines Software Development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops), which are aimed at shortening the systems development lifecycle and providing continuous delivery with high software quality.  

It emphasises collaboration, automation, and integration between development and operations teams to improve efficiency and reduce the time to market. 

 

Why is DevOps Popular?

DevOps is becoming popular because it addresses some challenges and limitations of traditional Software Development models, such as the Waterfall and Agile models.

The Waterfall model is a sequential process where each project phase is completed before moving to the next one. This model can be rigid and inflexible, as it does not allow for changes or feedback during the development process. It can also cause delays and errors as testing and deployment are done at the end of the project.

The Agile model is an iterative process where software is developed in small increments and delivered frequently. This model can be adaptive and responsive, allowing for changes and feedback during the development process. It can also improve quality and speed, as testing and deployment are done continuously. However, the Agile model can also create challenges for collaboration and coordination between development and operations teams, as they may have different goals, tools and processes.

DevOps is a solution that integrates development and operations teams into a single unit that works together throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). As the world is moving towards IT DevOps Skills will prove to be of utmost importance in the future. DevOps can overcome the drawbacks of both the Waterfall and Agile models, as it enables:

a) Greater Security: DevOps can ensure that security is embedded in every stage of the Software Development process, from design to deployment. DevOps can also automate security checks and audits and enable faster detection and resolution of security issues.

b) Increased Market Speed: DevOps can reduce the time to market for software products, enabling faster delivery of features and updates by properly defining tasks through DevOps roadmap. DevOps can also enable faster feedback loops, customer validation and faster adaptation to changing market demands.

c) Increased Conversions: DevOps can improve the user experience and satisfaction with software products, as it enables higher quality and reliability. DevOps can also enable better performance and scalability and better monitoring and analytics of user behaviour and feedback.

d) Customer Satisfaction: DevOps can enhance the customer value and loyalty of software products, as it enables more innovation and differentiation. DevOps can also enable more personalisation and customisation and enable more engagement and communication with customers.

e) Environment Stability: DevOps can ensure the Software Development environment is consistent and stable, enabling automation and standardisation of tools and processes. DevOps can also enable better visibility and traceability of the software development process and better collaboration and communication among team members.

f) Time Availability: DevOps can free up more time and resources for Software Development teams, enabling automation and optimising repetitive tasks. DevOps can also enable more focus and creativity and more learning and improvement.

Gain insights into advanced DevSecOps practices and technologies in our DevSecOps Practitioner Certification - register now! 

Why DevOps is Important? 

DevOps is all about bringing the development and operations teams together under one umbrella. By doing this, businesses can manufacture products and services faster than traditional methods. Apart from this, they can rectify errors and release updates at the earliest. This hybrid culture is gaining much traction primarily due to its efficiency. 

 

Quicker Development Time  

Before the arrival of DevOps, most organisations followed the conventional Software Development process. In the conventional process, the development and operations teams worked separately. This made it very hard to find whether the software was developed or not.    

Since there's no proper channel linking these two departments, they would have a hard time figuring out when the product will be launched. When the development team passes the created application to the operations team, the operation team could cause a delay. So, issues like these significantly increase the development Life Cycle.   

Less Recalls and Failures  

At times, a product deployment could fail due to faulty codes, and increased development cycles only make the problem worse. You can write more codes and release more applications by reducing the development cycle. Moreover, reducing the development time also gives you more time to review the codes, and you can spot errors quickly.     

Hence, these techniques promote collaboration and can significantly reduce deployment failures. Since fewer failures exist, you don't have to worry about rollback, as there will be very few. The time it takes to recover can also massively impact product deployment. When you collaborate with the development team and the operations team, recovering will also become faster and easier.  

Better Communication and Cooperation  

Combining teams increase the work culture significantly. Plus, they will also become happier, leading to increased productivity. Increased communication and trust will allow more room for innovation and creativity. So, releasing the product will become their primary goal rather than their individual goals. Most importantly, no more waiting for one team to finish their work as everything will be combined. 

Efficiency  

Collaboration of both teams significantly increases work efficiency, resulting in faster development. Apart from increased productivity, there will be fewer errors, too. Other than that, some processes can be automated, and some can only be done manually. You can automate tasks like Software Testing by utilising the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. This further increases productivity, and your team can focus on the processes that cannot be automated.   

Less Cost  

With DevOps, the work is done efficiently, and then there is automation, too. So, you won't need a lot of manpower to do the job anymore. This work efficiency and fewer workforce requirements will monumentally reduce operating costs, resulting in more profits.  

Sign up for our Certified Agile DevOps Professional (CADOP) Course and learn how to  collaborate effectively with Process Stakeholders.

The Best Tools for DevOps  

The DevOps life cycle starts with creating, storing, analysing, and reviewing your source code. Source Code Management includes Version Control, issue tracking, code review, packaging, and more. Here are five popular DevOps tools explained in detail: 

Git 

Git is a widely used DevOps tool in the software industry. It is a distributed Source Code Management (SCM) tool that remote teams and open-source contributors love. Git lets you track the progress of your development work. You can store different versions of your source code and go back to the previous version when needed. Consider the following:  

a) Git allows experimenting with separate branches and merging features when ready. 

b) It’s primarily a command-line tool but offers GUI clients for easier Source Code Management. 

c) It’s integrated with source code editors like Visual Studio Code for streamlined usage. 

d) It requires hosting source code in repositories for team collaboration in DevOps workflows. 

e) It includes popular Git hosting services include GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. 

f) It supports public and private repositories, issue tracking, and Release Management. 

g) It offers additional DevOps features like continuous development, security tools, code review, auditing, and collaboration functionalities. 

Learn to integrate security practices seamlessly within DevOps frameworks in our Site Reliability Engineering Practitioner Training - Sign up now! 

Mercurial 

Mercurial is a free, distributed revision control tool in Python supported on Windows and Unix. Compared to Git, it is usually a good choice for less experienced Developers, with a simpler structure and syntax and an easy and intuitive Command-Line Interface (CLI). Consider the following: 

a) Mercurial tracks changes to ensure the entire team works with the correct version of the code. 

b) It uses a distributed model, where each user has a full repository copy on their machine. 

c) It employs named branching for separate lines of development. 

d) It is scalable and performs well with large codebases. 

e) It features a plugin architecture for customisation by Developers. 

f) It’s compatible with major hosting services like GitHub, Bitbucket, and Google Code. 

g) It supports authentication and authorisation to manage codebase access. 

h) It encrypts data in transit and at rest to ensure security.   

Apache SVN 

Apache SVN (Subversion) is a Source Code Management tool for Version Control to manage and track changes. Apache SVN is good at handling large codebases and managing multiple code versions simultaneously. It is designed to work with other DevOps Tools, especially other Apache products like Maven. 

Here are the important things to remember about Apache SVN: 

a) SVN uses a centralised repository model, ensuring everyone works on the same version and reducing conflicts.  

b) It provides a branching model for experimental or feature-specific work with easy merging into the main codebase.  

c) It tracks changes to source code over time, enabling teams to revert to previous versions as needed.  

d) It supports DevOps teams by facilitating quick issue resolution in fast-paced development and deployment cycles. 

e) It offers Access Management to the codebase, ensuring only authorised users can make changes or access sensitive information. 

f) It integrates security throughout the DevOps cycle, addressing critical concerns for DevOps teams.  

Jira 

Jira is a versatile platform for issue tracking and Project Management. It was developed by Atlassian, a leading IT company that offers various software tools, such as Confluence, Bitbucket, Trello, and Statuspage. You can use Jira in the Cloud or on your servers.  

Here are some important points about Jira: 

a) Jira originated as a bug-tracking tool and now supports various aspects of software development. 

b) Jira enables various tasks such as project monitoring, branch and pull Request Management, code change tracking, and release handling. 

c) It supports Agile Project Management with Scrum and Kanban boards, roadmaps, and reporting tools.  

d) It features a strong automation engine with a drag-and-drop interface for creating automation rules.  

e) It allows Jira tasks to be automated and integrated with tools like Bitbucket, GitHub, and Microsoft Teams. 

f) It integrates seamlessly as part of the Atlassian Open DevOps suite of Cloud tools. 

SonarQube 

SonarQube is an open-source tool for code review that works with 27 Programming Languages. It is great for analysing the source code of multi-language applications. It helps you maintain code quality and security throughout the development process by automatically applying thousands of static code analysis rules.  

Here are some key points to remember about SonarQube: 

a) SonarQube’s quality gates evaluate source code for bugs, vulnerabilities, code smells, coverage, and duplications.  

b) Quality gates determine if the code meets release criteria and assist in reviewing pull requests. 

c) It monitors overall code health and identifies new issues in the codebase. 

d) It provides visualisations to display the state of the codebase. 

e) It supports Cloud and on-premises deployment. 

f) It integrates with DevOps tools like GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, Azure Pipelines, and Bitbucket. 

g) It requires minimal configuration for setup. 

h) It improves security through continuous code inspection in DevOps workflows. 

Enhance your career with our Certified DevOps Security Professional (CDSOP) Training– Sign up now! 

Best DevOps Practices  

Some of the DevOps best practices are: 

1) Cultivate a collaborative culture with open, blameless communication. 

2) Implement Continuous Integration and Delivery (CI/CD) practices. 

3) Establish robust automated testing frameworks. 

4) Prioritise observability and identify meaningful metrics. 

5) Avoid manual work with automation. 

6) Integrate security considerations early in the development lifecycle. 

7) Analyse incidents to create and refine processes. 

8) Focus on concepts first, then find the right tools. 

9) Adopt Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and advocate for a self-service infrastructure model. 

10) Don’t create a separate DevOps team. 

11) Avoid having a single DevOps hero and ensure that knowledge is spread across teams and team members.  

12) Don’t attempt to automate and change everything at once. Take a gradual approach. 

13) Avoid chasing new tools. 

14) Maintain a balance between quality and speed. 

15) Don’t give up on Continuous Improvement. 

16) Ensure thorough documentation and promote knowledge sharing. 

Challenges in implementing DevOps 

Here are some challenges involved in implementing DevOps:  

1) Transitioning from Legacy Applications to Microservices: Legacy technology can hinder competitiveness. Moving to microservices introduces complexity, robust Configuration Management, automation, and CI/CD to handle the operational demands of DevOps.  

2) Adopting and Integrating New Tools: Choosing and integrating tools for development, testing, and deployment is challenging. Tools must meet security requirements, align with infrastructure, and include comprehensive training to maintain productivity. 

3) DevOps Governance: DevOps enforces strict governance, including access control, SLAs, and Change Management processes, which can be daunting for new adopters. 

4) Managing Multiple Environments: Increasing application complexity demands distinct development, staging, testing, and production environments.  

5) bottom-up collaboration: devops encourages a culture where Developers and operations teams choose the best tools and platforms, challenging traditional top-down decision-making. 

6) Building a DevOps Centre of Excellence (CoE): Centralising knowledge reduces reliance on key individuals and ensure smoother transitions when team members leave. However, to set up a DevOps CoE, you need professionals with in-depth experience with DevOps challenges and solutions, and such resources are not widely available. 

7) Overcoming Change Resistance: Introducing DevOps requires a gradual, well-planned, but time-consuming approach to ease cultural and technical resistance. 

8) Measuring Success: Measuring success can be a huge challenge. Success metrics for DevOps should be determined by experts who can accurately quantify the delivered value, not by cost-saving measures alone. 

9) Budget Considerations: DevOps is not solely about cost reduction; it drives revenue growth by enabling organisations to deliver greater value to customers. However, implementing DevOps requires budgets and specialised resources. 

Attain knowledge about DevOps principles, practices, and related frameworks in our comprehensive DevOps Engineering Foundation Course - Sign up now! 

The Future of DevOps

The future of DevOps is dependent on increased automation and integration of AI and Machine Learning. This emphasises more efficient, seamless and secure software delivery, which will enhance collaboration and innovation across different IT teams. Let us discuss more in detail about the future of DevOps:

Automation

Automation in DevOps will streamline complex processes, reducing manual errors and increasing efficiency. Let us see some more ways automation will influence the future of DevOps:

a) Organisations can give quicker responses to market changes with the help of automation. It will also accelerate the DevOps cycle and help keep the business competitive.

b) Automation will ensure that the processes will have less human error and are consistent and reliable. Every deployment will have the same set of procedures, making the results more stable and predictable.

c) With the help of automation, the bridge between development, operations and IT teams will be connected, and the shared environment will have better communication and collaboration.

d) Automation allows DevOps practices to be scaled more effectively. With the increase in infrastructure and complexity of applications, these automated processes can manage the complexities more efficiently than manual efforts.

e) Automation greatly reduces labour costs as it requires minimum manual interventions, which leads to faster deployment and a reduction in costs in projects.

Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps)

Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations or AIOps will have a significant impact on the future of DevOps in several ways. Some of these are:

a) With the help of AIOps, organisations can predict potential issues and failures within the system. This analysis will allow the DevOps team to address the problems and reduce downtime, which will improve system reliability.

b) It will also help in intelligent decision-making and automated processes. This will optimise workflows and manage resource allocation, which will automate even complex tasks. This will help in enhancing the overall efficiency of DevOps practices.

c) With the help of AIOPS, incident management can be efficiently handled. It can quickly identify, categorise and address IT issues. 

d) It also facilitates continuous feedback learning cycles, which is essential for DevOps. With the help of operational data, actionable insights and strategies can be derived, which will help in refining the process.

e) AIOPs provide a unified view of the IT environment. It allows collaboration between development and operation teams which is crucial in breaking down silos and promoting a more unified DevOps culture.

Cloud optimisation

Cloud optimisation will play a crucial role in shaping the future of DevOps through several key contributions:

a) With effective strategies of cloud optimisation, the DevOps teams which are working on scalable, cloud-native applications can avoid the misuse of any resource, especially if they are still paying for its unused capacity.

b) With the help of cloud optimisation, DevOps teams will scale resources only on demand. There will be flexibility in handling different workloads, which will ensure that the applications are running smoothly in spite of any demand.

c) With the help of cloud optimisation tools, the DevOps teams can make informed decisions, which will help in allocating and scaling resources. This will ensure that the applications have the resources without going to waste.

d) The DevOps teams will have an easier time in Cloud Management as it will automate routine tasks such as resource allocation, backups and security checks.

e) The DevOps teams will have an easier time in Cloud Management as it will automate routine tasks such as resource allocation, backups and security checks.

Discover the pros and cons of Continuous Delivery vs Continuous Deployment for seamless DevOps!

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding Why DevOps is Important helps you effectively strategise modern Software Development. By encouraging collaboration, automating processes, and ensuring continuous delivery, it gravitates teams towards faster innovation and responds to market demands with agility.  Businesses face increasing pressure to stay competitive. DevOps helps streamline workflows, improve software quality, and improve overall efficiency. 

Sign up for our DevOps Leader Certification and acquire the skills to improve your work efficiency!